Once again, we at Unchained At Last are going to Chain-In to protest child marriage in America. This time we’re headed to Philadelphia.
We’ll gather outside City Hall wearing bridal gowns and veils, with our arms chained and mouths taped. We’ll send a strong message to legislators: Pass HB1038, the bill to end child marriage in Pennsylvania.
Will you join us?
May 12 | 12:30 p.m.
City Hall Central Courtyard
1401 John F Kennedy Blvd., Philadelphia
Unchained provides the gowns, veils, chains and tape
Speakers include:
- Rep. Perry Warren, PA House of Representatives | Primary Sponsor of HB1038
- Rep. Jared Solomon, PA House of Representatives | Sponsor of HB1038
- Samantha Pearson, Office of Councilmember Blondell Reynolds Brown
- Fraidy Reiss, Unchained At Last
Ending Child Marriage in America
We lead a growing national movement to end child marriage in America.
Marriage before 18 remains legal in all 50 U.S. states, including Pennsylvania, which is one of 22 states that do not specify any minimum age for marriage – putting Pennsylvania’s laws in line with those in Iran, Saudi Arabia and Yemen, which also do not specify a minimum age for marriage.
As of 2014, more than 2,300 children in Pennsylvania had already been married. And almost all the children who marry in the U.S. are girls wed to adult men.
Child marriage is often forced marriage, because children face overwhelming legal and practical barriers if they try to leave home, enter a domestic violence shelter, retain an attorney or bring a legal action such as a divorce before they turn 18. Further, child marriage destroys girls’ health, education and economic opportunities and significantly increases their risk of being beaten by their spouse.
The U.S. State Department has called marriage before 18 a “human rights abuse.” Let’s Chain-In to demand an end to this human-rights abuse in Pennsylvania.
Learn more here about other ways you can help to end child marriage in America.
This Chain-In is made possible by generous support from Lush Charity Pot.
Other Upcoming Events
- Chain-In Jersey Shore | July 21 (tentative: details coming soon)
- Trevor Noah @ NJPAC | September 7